Sea of revellers swells the Granaries for MTV concert

The Floriana Granaries yesterday pulsated to the music and movement of the Isle of MTV Malta Special as some of the biggest international acts of the summer hit the stage, performing to a sea of revellers.

Lady GaGa, the exhibitionist eccentric singer and songwriter (above), with her flair for theatrics and outrageous costumes, opened the show. Touted as the next Madonna, the 22-year-old entertainer shook the Granaries with her wild, "shock art" performance, fusing rock, pop and theatre.

Next in line was the anticipated performance by OneRepublic, whose deep and catchy tunes have been blasting through the radio waves for a while. The band sent shivers down spines with their goose-bump-inducing Apologise.

In his second Malta performance in a year, Enrique Iglesias managed to woe and wow the crowd as much as he did the first time round, achieving the same impact and appeal with his romantic songs and drop-dead gorgeous looks. He was a mega hit last year and told The Times he thought the Maltese audience was equally great and inspiring.

The Kooks kept the crowd going into the night, and funk-rock band N*E*R*D, with the renowned producer, rapper and songwriter Pharell Williams at its helm, sealed the spectacular show in style.

The awaited Isle of MTV concert, one of the highlights and most eclectic outdoor live music events of MTV's European summer music scene, will be aired on the popular music station about three times, according to the contract signed by the Tourism Ministry and MTV, reaching a potential audience of over 130 million.

The mega event, organised by MTV in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and G7, was, in fact, aimed at promoting Malta as a "happening", young, vibrant, holiday destination to attract foreigners to the island.

In keeping with this goal, a Malta Music Week was also organised in the run-up, featuring local bands and climaxing in yesterday's free music festival.

In recent weeks, Air Malta and the MTA embarked on an international advertising campaign across the UK and Germany to promote the Isle of MTV experience, which is not over yet...

Following the success of last year's show, MTV and the Tourism Ministry had agreed that Malta would be hosting the show another three times - so there are still two more concerts to go.